Chapter II
Circumstantial Evidence
For a moment Frank Hardy lay in the thicket, stunned by the shock of his fall, with the breath knocked out of him. Gradually, he recovered himself and managed to scramble to his feet. His first thought was for the other boys, but a quick glance showed that both Chet and Joe were unhurt, beyond a few bruises.
Joe was sitting in the ditch, looking around him in bewilderment, as though he had not yet realized exactly what had happened, while Chet Morton was picking himself up out of a clump of undergrowth near the fence. In the road, the driver of the hay wagon was trying to calm his startled horses, who were rearing and plunging in fright.
"Any bones broken?" asked Frank of his two companions.
Chet carefully counted his ribs.
"Guess not," he announced, cheerfully. "I think I'm all here, safe and sound. Wow! What a spill that was!"
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